


Fairy Tales & Forts

by Satine86



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Babysitting, Big Brother Phillip Carlyle, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen, Post-Canon, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 02:04:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15831516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satine86/pseuds/Satine86
Summary: While P.T. and Charity are away... the children will play.





	Fairy Tales & Forts

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt was "cuddling in front of the fire." Again this was supposed to be a quick prompt fill, and then it... wasn't.

Anne put away the dishes, and listened carefully to what was going on in the other room. After dinner was cleared and the dishes washed, the girls had immediately yanked Phillip into the sitting room for one reason or another. She couldn’t quite hear what the girls were saying, but it was punctuated every so often by Phillip’s voice.

“No.”

One of the girls was speaking again, Anne thought it might be Helen. 

“No!” he said laughingly. 

Giggling to herself, Anne gave up any pretense of putting anything away and just listened. 

“Helen,” Phillip sighed. “I said no.” 

There were indignant cries from both Helen and Caroline, and eventually the kitchen door opened. Phillip entered looking a bit harried. 

“They’re relentless.” 

“Are they trying to stay up past their bedtime again?” 

“Among other things.” He glanced around. “Didn’t Caroline leave her book in here? I said I would read them a story.” 

“Yeah, it’s on the counter.” She waved a hand, returned to her task. 

P.T. had decided to whisk Charity away on a trip upstate for their anniversary -- Anne wasn't sure if it was a wedding anniversary or some other one, but she thought it was sweet and romantic either way -- and while they were gone, that left Phillip and Anne to watch over the girls. 

It had been proving to be a bigger challenge than either of them had anticipated. The girls seemed keen to wheedle anything they could out of the pair. From stories, to extended bedtimes and extra desserts. 

“Who do they remind you of most?” 

Phillip looked at her, tucked Caroline’s book under his arm. “Both of them. They’ve got P.T. exuberance, and Charity’s tenacity. It’s a terrifying combination.” 

Anne laughed at him. “You only think that because you can’t say no.” 

“I just said no to them nearly ten times!” He pointed toward the kitchen door. 

“What were they asking for anyway?” 

“The usual, an extra helping of dessert, then cocoa. Then they tried to convince me their bedtimes had changed. Then they were asking weirdly specific questions about the theater. I think they want to produce a play.” 

“Of course they do. You did it, why wouldn’t they want to do it too?” Often times the girls, Helen especially, seemed to shadow Phillip in all that he did. In the last few days they had been staying at the Barnum home, she was certain Helen had even picked up a few mannerism from Phillip as well. 

It was terribly adorable. 

“Yes, let’s encourage the girls to repeat all of my mistakes.” 

Anne leaned her elbows on the worktable in the middle of the kitchen, and frowned at him. “I don’t think the theater is the worst mistake you’ve ever made.” 

Phillip sat aside Caroline’s book, and leaned against the table as well. His elbow nearly touching hers. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Maybe,” he said. 

“Besides, no theater means never meeting P.T. Which means no circus.” 

“No long days, no tiring rehearsals.” He sighed wistfully, failing to hide a laugh. “No bookkeeping.” 

“No beautiful trapeze artists.” Anne rested her chin in her palms and batted her eyes at him.

"I think you finally have a point there.” He leaned in a little closer to her, as if he intended to kiss her. "I don’t know what I would do without W.D.” 

Anne rolled her eyes and shoved him away. “Go read to the girls, you fool.”

He was laughing the entire time and nearly made it out the door before he circled back and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. She narrowed her eyes.

“You can’t charm your way out of this one, Mister Carlyle.” 

“Give me a little time, Miss Wheeler. I think I might be able to.” Anne laughed, and Phillip started to lean in again--

“PHILLIP!” came the cry from the other room. 

“It’s a shame you don’t have any.” Anne patted his cheek before Helen and Caroline came barging into the kitchen. They both greeted Anne with a bright smile, then they each proceeded to grab one of Phillip’s hand and started pulling him toward the sitting room. 

He sent a pleading look over his shoulder. ‘Help me,’ he mouthed. Anne waved at him, stifling her laughter as the door shut. 

Anne took a little time in the kitchen, setting things to rights and brewing a pot of tea. She loaded up a tray with cups and saucers and even a few biscuits for the girls -- honestly what was the point of having Anne and Phillip watch them, if they were to spoil them at least a little bit. 

When she finally made it out to the sitting room, she found what seemed like every available cushion and throw pillow and blanket piled in front of the fire. Chairs ringed the hearth, some of the blankets draped over them. A nest, it seemed.

At the sound of Anne’s footsteps, Helen’s happy little face popped out from between one of the folds. “There you are!” 

“Here I am, and there you are. What’s all this?”

“Mommy builds us a fort sometimes. We made Phillip help us. Isn’t it wonderful!?” 

“It’s very impressive.” Anne knelt down in front of the oddly shaped fort. “Will this fit?” She held up the tray of goodies.

“Oh, yes!” Helen reached for it, carefully pulling it back inside, tongue sticking out as she concentrated on not rattling the cups too much. 

“Is there room for me?” Anne asked.

“Of course there is, silly!” Helen popped out again, grabbed Anne’s hand and yanked her inside. One of the chairs nearly toppled over in the haste, but miraculously the whole structure stayed upright. Truly a feat of modern engineering. 

As Anne all but tumbled inside, she came face to face Phillip. He grinned at her.

“Hello.” 

“Hello,” she replied. 

A quick glance toward the girls proved they were busy carefully filling the teacups. Seizing his opportunity, Phillip stole a lingering kiss before they pulled back to accept their cups from the girls. 

Anne settled against a cushion to sip her tea. She ended up with Caroline cuddled against her left side, while Phillip sat to her right with Helen on his lap. The fire crackling merrily before them. 

“Now am I reading the story?” Phillip asked, holding up the prized book of fairy tales. 

“Yes!” Caroline and Helen cried in unison. 

“All right, which one?” Phillip flipped open the first page, and Helen seemed to pick one at random.

“But you have to do the voices,” she said.

“I do?” Phillip’s eyebrows shot up. Anne snorted into her teacup. 

“Daddy does all the voices.”

“Of course he does.” Phillip sighed. “I’ll try.” 

He made it approximately three pages into the story before it seemed both girls were fast asleep. Their excitement getting the better of them. Caroline had tipped over in her sleep, head resting on Anne’s lap. Helen, on the other hand, was practically sprawled across Phillip as he leaned back against a stack of pillows, her head on his shoulder. 

“I think we’re trapped,” Phillip whispered.

Anne shrugged. “Just another downside to your new life since joining the circus.” 

Phillip started laughing, jostling Helen in the process. She whined a little in her sleep, shifted slightly. He shut his eyes tight, his lips pressed together as he tried to stop laughing. Eventually he managed to regain control of himself.

“Clearly,” he said. “Oh, the things I suffer.” 

Very slowly, and very carefully Anne leaned over as much as she dared and managed to press a kiss to Phillip’s cheek, brushed her knuckles against his jaw. 

“Best decision you ever made?” 

He nodded. “Best decision I ever made.” 


End file.
